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Report offers action plan for reducing sodium consumption in Canada

CALGARY, June 19, 2012 /CNW/ - A number of recent studies have
identified a slew of health implications associated with excess sodium
intake. These sorts of health problems put a drain on the health system
and government balance sheets.

In a report released today by The School of Public Policy, author
Lindsay McLaren proposes sodium reduction strategies that represent
viable policy options for Canada.

McLaren advocates a "population-level intervention strategy" wherein
efforts are taken to decrease sodium intake across the population as a
whole. The author draws off of the Canadian experience with dietary
sodium and international examples like Finland and the U.K. to propose
a series of action points for federal and provincial governments. Her
recommendations include:

Take a strong stand on sodium reduction federally, by setting reduction
targets for the food industry, committing industry to meet the targets,
and closely monitoring progress towards targets

Create a dietary monitoring system that would allow for an accurate
assessment of sodium intake amongst the population

Refine the Canadian Nutrient File to enable a more nuanced analysis of
population sodium consumption

Amend the Food and Drug Regulations to ensure that the serving sizes
used in the Nutrition Facts Table are as uniform as possible to
facilitate comparison of sodium levels in similar foods, and that they
align with serving sizes assumed by Canada's Food Guide

Referencing previous research that quantifies the health costs that
would be saved through a population-level approach, McLaren argues that
"population-level intervention is superior to clinical intervention in
terms of cost-effectiveness, returning up to $11.10 for every dollar
spent and generating tens of billions in direct health-care savings."